Mumbai: Spanish girl rape case cracked; one held

A day after a Spanish woman was raped and robbed at her residence here, police today claimed to have achieved a breakthrough in the case with the arrest of a history-sheeter.

Mohammed Badsha Mohammed Ismail Ansari (30), who has at least 20 cases registered against him in the city, was arrested after interrogation of several hours and gathering "clinching evidence" against him, a senior official said.

According to police sources, the victim has identified the accused, who is yet to confess to the offence.

During a massive hunt for the lone accused, police rounded up several suspects since yesterday and grilled them throughout the day. After obtaining vital clues, they nabbed Ansari from Reay Road area in south Mumbai.

The 27-year-old musician, staying as a tenant in a flat on the third floor of a building in upscale suburban Bandra, was allegedly raped and robbed by a knife-wielding man in the wee hours yesterday.

Police have claimed the prime suspect in the case was the same history-sheeter, who had been arrested on October 27 for allegedly stealing valuables worth Rs 12 lakh from the house of Bollywood actor Dino Morea in Bandra.

The accused was later granted bail by the court in the last month's robbery case.

According to police, the valuables and cash stolen from the Spanish lady's house were yet to be recovered.

"We interrogated the suspect at length to connect the dots and make a watertight case. We questioned him about his whereabouts before and after the crime. The DNA samples of the suspect, who has at least 20 criminal cases against him in the city, would also be taken," the officer said.

The accused would be produced on Wednesday before a local court, where investigators would not seek his police custody so that he could be sent to judicial remand.

"If the suspect is sent to the judicial custody, then we would immediately go for an identification parade as the victim has expressed her desire to leave India in four to five days," the officer said.

According to the police, the accused entered the woman's flat through the window. After stealing valuables, including cash and a camera, he allegedly raped her at knife point.